Title: Anunnaki
Artist: Dark Awake
Rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Martial Industrial / Dark Ambient
Year: 2014
Country: Greece
Label: WolfTyr Productions
Martial Industrial is a genre that I am very passionate about, although due to time constraints I’ve missed the opportunity to cover the genre in detail in the zine thus far. I’m pleased to feature Dark Awake’s album Anunnaki as the first Martial review in this zine.
There is one word that instantly comes to mind when listening to this album: Power. On their bandcamp page, Dark Awake write “Dark Awake’s brand new opus takes inspiration from the ancient gods of Mesopotamia, Anunnaki. Anunnaki are a race of superhumanly powerful humanoid beings who were once worshipped by several of the tribes and cultures of Mesopotamia”. The opening track Blut Ist Feurer immediately brings this idea to life. Aggressive military percussion is combined with hostile orchestral brass and bleak choirs, creating a sense of dread and also raw force. The orchestral strings and brass are arranged in a cinematic manner, adding a feeling of drama long lost since the glory days of Richard Wagner. This track (and the rest of the album) is easily on par with contemporary Martial acts such as BloodSoil or Legionarii.
The album moves beyond Martial Industrial in some moments, with dissonant ambient sections that add some much needed space to the music. These dark ambient passages allow the listener to catch a breath before being returned to the incredibly oppressive force of the Martial moments (“Virgo Lucifera” with it’s Latin choir chants and metallic synth pads being a fine example). While the album in general can be classified as Martial Industrial, there are some unique aspects that are not necessarily typical for the genre as well. The track “Decay” features spoken word and lyrics from the Greek poet Kostas Karyotakis. Spoken word in Martial music can be difficult to achieve, and Dark Awake succeeds yet again in this regard. “Towards the Nine Angels” features heavy cathedral organ and bells with a more traditional approach to Industrial percussion, highlighting the Industrial roots of the subgenre. The track “Virgo Lucifera” ends with tribal drumming, and “Thy Satyr” features Eastern styled pipe instrumentation. Dark Awake are able to combine many aspects of various genres and musical styles to create an album that is truly unique, without losing the atmosphere of a genuine Martial album.
The album is beautifully packaged in a digipak CD, featuring a full explanation of the metaphysical and philosophical ideology behind the album. The power of Dark Awake’s music is not found solely in the bombastic Martial moments, but in the bleak esoteric atmospheres of the ambient sections of the album as well. I highly recommend Anunnaki to fans of Martial Industrial who are looking for something that goes beyond the typical style of the genre, and appreciate music that is inspired by power and enlightenment.
